The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has disbursed more than $113 million to programs in 53 countries after beginning grantmaking last year, according to a Global Fund release. In its first 18 months of operation, the fund approved grants worth $1.5 billion over five years to 154 projects in 93 countries. Within six months of signing the first grant agreements with the Global Fund, programs in Ghana, Haiti, Sri Lanka and Tanzania have already received 23% of the total value of their two-year grant disbursements. A total of 16 programs have received their second disbursements based on "satisfactory progress," according to the release. The Global Fund bases disbursements on progress reports indicating that programs have achieved "agreed targets for treating people and running effective prevention campaigns." Through its disbursements, the fund plans over five years to expand antiretroviral treatment to more than 500,000 HIV-positive people in developing countries; expand voluntary HIV counseling and testing tenfold; and provide support services, including medical and community care, to 500,000 HIV/AIDS orphans. In addition, the Global Fund expects to identify an additional two million cases of TB and subsidize treatment for almost the same number of people, according to the release (Global Fund release, 8/29).

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